A case of mistaken identity led to a Watford councillor being banned from a pub for overturning a table in a fit of rage.

When Liberal Democrat councillor Hugh O'Hanlon went to his local the Tudor Arms, in Bushey Mill Lane for a pint, the 55-year-old was amazed to find barstaff refused to serve him.

To his astonishment the Tudor Ward councillor, from Radlett Road, who is on the borough council's licensing committee, discovered he was barred for an incident involving an art student's display at the pub.

However, a quick telephone call to landlady Anwen Owen uncovered the mystery.

"It was mistaken identity. There was another person called Hugh there that turned the table upside down," he said.

"An art student doing a degree had put a no smoking table into the smoking area, with loads of no smoking signs on it.

"It was there I suppose to provoke a reaction and it certainly did that. This person took exception to it and flipped it over. Someone told them it was Hugh the councillor, But they got the wrong Hugh."

The father of two has lived in the area more than 30 years and was allowed back in to enjoy his pint of lager two days after the unwarranted ban, last Wednesday.

Councillor O'Hanlon, who is also a governor of Parkgate Infants School, said: "Looking back it was quite comical. It was quite funny.

"I have used the Tudor Arms for 33 years and have never been barred from any pub in the world. But it was sorted with a phone call to Anwen and after I explained myself they realised they had the wrong person."